Step 5: The trap and pedal

Step 6: Goggles

These were made by making the basic frame shape from 1/8' thick board and then making a curved flange on the back by bending some super thin 1/64" ply...

I thought this would be a great idea for Halloween (I love Halloween!) so in my usual over the top fashion I went, well -- over the top. A buddy of mine wanted to do it as well. We tried to get his roommate into it too so we could have a third Ghostbuster but he didn't think we'd be able to do it......... :D

I made two complete packs, suits, belts and goggles in just over two weeks working mostly nights and weekends. I also made a ghost trap and pedal- it clips onto the belt just like in the movie. The guns come off the packs and the packs light up, as does the trap. I made two lighting circuits for each pack using a simple homemade 555 timer circuit, a few LEDs and 9v batteries. The trap weighs around six or seven pounds and the packs weigh about twenty- five pounds.

The packs and trap are pretty movie accurate- they were made from plans that were drawn up from one of the original movie "hero" packs on display at Planet Hollywood. The A.L.I.C.E. pack frames are the same as the movie and were purchased from an Army surplus store. Most of the small parts on the pack are movie accurate and were located at a local electronics surplus store. Even our coveralls were from the original movie supplier. The "no ghost" patches were bought online.

I made the goggles from hardboard, Bondo and thin plywood. I turned the aluminum and glass lenses on a lathe. All the labels on the packs and goggles are accurate and were printed on my computer.

Like I said- over the top. But come Halloween it is oh sooo worth it. People go absolutely flippin' nuts when they see the whole getup. They absolutely cannot believe they were homemade.

This is a BIG project so I'll basically outline what I did to make it go a lot faster. Follow on...

Hi, I hope you get this message since the previous comments are a bit dated. My grandson will turn eleven in March and he is a Ghostbuster fanatic. His Birthday party is a Ghostbuster theme party. He has wanted the ghost trap for years now. Mattel is not planning on having any made and Ebay is way out of my price range. You obviously know what you are doing, would you consider selling yours? He would be content with just the box as long as the doors open. Would this be something that you might consider? Thank you!

Hi, I hope you get this message since the previous comments are a bit dated. My grandson will turn eleven in March and he is a Ghostbuster fanatic. His Birthday party is a Ghostbuster theme party. He has wanted the ghost trap for years now. Mattel is not planning on having any made and Ebay is way out of my price range. You obviously know what you are doing, would you consider selling yours? He would be content with just the box as long as the doors open. Would this be something that you might consider? Thank you!

I'm curious how you did the Cyclotron lights. My buddy built a proton pack for Halloween 2 years ago, and I helped him do his Cyclotron chaser lights.

We used the biggest red LEDs we could find at Radioshack, and backed them with tinfoil. Then I wrote some simple BASIC Stamp code to flash the LEDs, put the BASIC stamp on a small PCB with drive wires on it. and then put a power switch on the outside rim of the pack. We powered it with a 9V.

When my buddy was building his GB backpack, he kept telling me all you needed was a 555, and I for the life of me couldn't figure out how you would build a light chaser with just a 555. Apparently that was Ghostbuster-pack-builder-shorthand for that circuit.

My bro's son will have a themed birthday party and I think I have found my costume :) Thanks Honus, this looks impressive and brings back good memories of my childhood. Thanks for sharing, I have faved this and shared on my fb page. Cheers.

i've wanted to do my own suit and props for years now,i'm not that electrical savvy so i'll probably do cardboard versions of the pack and props, but maybe i'll take a crack at doing a more sturdy pack. you've inspired me to get back to my dream of being a ghostbuster for halloween or maybe home movies :)

Nice. There are so many proton packs on the web, but I guess it's just a really popular prop. I've been drawing up plans for the Ghost Dematerializer mk I from the 1975 TV show "The Ghost Busters" with Larry Storch and Forrest Tucker. It's best known for the 1986 animated sequel--both were made by Filmation.

I have...quite a few measurements, actually, and have done a fair amount of research. I'll share 'em with you soon, Honus.

Proton packs are popular- I've seen everything from cardboard versions to super accurate molded fiberglass packs. I've never seen one from the 1975 show- that would be neat to see. I think I've only seen one or two of the Ghostbusters Extreme packs.

Hey man, nice work on the suit, and the pack. I have many questions for you, but the first is where did you get the velcro for the name patch? I haven't been able to find a suitable replacement for the actual name patch other than buying a bunch of patches with my name on it.

My husband made this costume this last year for Halloween. He got his tan coveralls from this store...http://www.qcsupply.com/qcsupply/browse/productDetailWithPicker.jsp?productId=70090&categoryId=&fromPage=search

He also bought goggles and boots there too to complete his outfit..http://www.qcsupply.com/qcsupply/browse/productDetailWithPicker.jsp?productId=390016&categoryId=&fromPage=searchhttp://www.qcsupply.com/qcsupply/browse/productDetailWithPicker.jsp?productId=71370&categoryId=&fromPage=search

The total for his order was under $30! Cheap!

For his "backpack" he painted a box black with a bunch of buttons on it and attached an old shop vac hose...

About This Instructable

Bio:I'm a former bicycle industry designer turned professional jeweler. I like working with my hands and am happiest when I'm in the shop building my creations. If you need help with your project just let...read more »